What Is the Tiffany Etoile Design?

Etoile is French for star, and the design earns the name by getting out of the diamond's way. The stone sits in a platinum bezel rather than on raised prongs, so the metal wraps the girdle in a smooth collar and the diamond reads as the only thing on the ring.

What makes a bezel setting different?

A bezel holds the stone in a continuous rim of metal. A prong setting grips it with four or six small claws.

The practical differences are considerable and they're the reason I steer certain customers toward a bezel without hesitation. There are no prongs to catch on clothing, hair or gloves, and no prongs to wear thin, bend or snap, which is the single most common way people lose a diamond. The girdle, the vulnerable edge of the stone, is protected all the way round. That makes a bezel-set ring genuinely well suited to someone who works with their hands, wears gloves, or simply doesn't want to think about their ring during the day.

The trade-off is light. Prongs let light in from the sides, and a bezel doesn't, so a bezel-set diamond can look slightly less fiery than the same stone on claws. Etoile answers that by keeping the crown of the diamond well clear of the metal, so the top of the stone still does its work. Whether you prefer the effect is a matter of taste, not quality.

What does the Etoile look like?

Sleek and quite modern, which is the whole point.

The band is substantial and clean and deliberately undemonstrative, so nothing competes with the stone. It's made to sit flush against a matching wedding band, which is worth knowing before you buy, because a high-set solitaire and a flat band rarely sit together comfortably. Etoile is offered with or without additional diamonds along the shoulders, and the band comes in platinum, white gold or yellow gold.

Tiffany has been doing this sort of thing since 1837. The house made its name by stripping ornament away rather than adding it, most famously with the Tiffany Setting itself, and Etoile belongs to that same instinct: let the stone be the star and stop decorating.

Can you buy one pre-owned?

Yes, and it's often the sensible route. We keep an inventory of pre-owned Tiffany & Co. engagement rings, and one of our GIA Accredited Jewelry Professionals would be glad to show you what's in the case.

Our inventory moves quickly, so I can't promise there'll be an Etoile in stock the day you come in. We can usually track one down through our relationships in the trade. We're a third generation jeweler and a small family business, and we'd like the chance to show you what a lot of San Diegans already know about how we treat people.

Come and see us at our La Jolla showroom.